Some observations on America after a recent visit. Bike and non bike related.
http://rogerfleming-raftnn.blogspot....n-america.html
Some observations on America after a recent visit. Bike and non bike related.
http://rogerfleming-raftnn.blogspot....n-america.html
Pretty true, lack of protective gear was the norm, I only saw two bins both on biker week near Sturgis. (and in 104+F heat you would die if all leathered up - and on a freeway it would be a waste of time if you arsed-up - it would only serve to hold your run-over-by-an-18-wheeler-or-two body in one piece...maybe.
And a reasonable number of younger guys do like 'canyon carving' on their sports bike- but said canyons are not where most tourists go.
Food (and most other day-today stuff) is waay cheaper (ie my seafood plate at a pub cost me NZ$28 last night, in the US it would be a US$10 or so meal)
I guess only personal injury/illness insurance would be more expensive over there but $12 for fuel after riding 180+ miles (300km) two-up put a smile on my face....
Winding up drongos, foil hat wearers and over sensitive KBers for over 14,000 posts...........
" Life is not a rehearsal, it's as happy or miserable as you want to make it"
All right - a thread where I have some experience....
(1) Lack of protective gear: Many Yanks take the slogan "Land of the free, Home of the brave" a bit too literally when it comes to bikes. They think to be "free" and "brave" on a bike, you shouldn't be wearing protective gear. I'm an ATGATT rider; if it's too hot to wear the gear, it's too hot to ride - but I'd say less than half my fellow Yanks feel the same way.
(2) Bikes just aren't a big thing in the U.S. I thnk it has to do with cheap gas, crappy public transportation, widely variable weather, and big distances. Most riders don't like snow, and snow is a fact of life for at least three months out of the year for over half the country. So most everyone has a car - for the winter, for the places public transportation doesn't go - and you therefore don't *need* a bike. Unless you understand why dogs hang their heads out car windows....
(3) Except for some mountain regions (the Sierras along the West coast, the Rockies about a thousand miles east of the Sierras, and the Appalachian Mtns. along the east coast, the U.S. is FLAT. No need to build curved roads - the shortest distance is a straight line, which also explains the huge popularity of Hardly Abelson cruisers - great for going in a straight line.
That's why I'm looking forward to coming to ride in a country where bikes are popular and curves are plentiful (not referring to the types of curves Roger saw in Vegas). Even if it is more pricey than the U.S.....
I got to the pic and stopped paying attention.
What was the article about?
Reactor Online. Sensors Online. Weapons Online. All Systems Nominal.
Can't agree with you there. I rode from LA to Las Vegas in 48 deg c heat, and found it was more bearable with my leather jacket on. Once in Vegas I went for a quick ride with a tee shirt on...and the heat blast was much worse on bare skin. It was fucking hard work though. Sure made the beers at my destination taste REAL good.
Thanks for noticing!
Winding up drongos, foil hat wearers and over sensitive KBers for over 14,000 posts...........
" Life is not a rehearsal, it's as happy or miserable as you want to make it"
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